galeafandomcom-20200214-history
Shappa
The Walking God is a seeker of wisdom, enlightenment, and new experiences. He teaches that it is the journey that matters in life, not the destination. History History specific to the god. Apotheosis, death, important events pertaining to the deity. Home Shappa's home plane is known as Duvaar, the City of Doors, and is located within Limbo. It is a massive interplanar city where ideas, knowledge, culture, and goods can be traded. While many do trade goods, the main trade is knowledge and culture. Beings come from everywhere to watch artists perform or listen to words of wisdom from a traveling monk. Within the city are several gates to other planes. All are welcome within the city walls and all are expected to uphold peace. This is one of the few places in the cosmos where one can find an angel and demon conversing instead of trying to destroy each other. The city is home to the Temple of the Seeker, which is a huge monastery where one can typically find Shappa. While not in the temple, he can be found wandering his city taking in the sights. This is, of course, assuming he is even on the plane to begin with. The city sits atop an extremely massive creature called the Duvaarrine. It slowly travels around Limbo, stopping only on occasion when it reaches something of interest. It is unknown if Shappa controls it or if it walks freely. Relationships Shappa has a working relationship with Tao, as their ideologies are similar. However, they frequently have philosophical debates since their core beliefs are diametrically opposed to one another, Shappa being the Walking God and Tao being the Sitting God. Most other gods tend to pay him no mind, but they do listen to his wisdom in the rare cases he gives it. He has few true enemies. Garm and Shappa are less than friendly due to Garms chaotic and destructive nature. While Shappa does embrace chaos and destruction when needed, the complete lack of balance is disheartening. The same can be said about Solus and his incessant need to destroy his opposition. Appearance and Emissaries The exact image of Shappa is clouded in interpretation. He is a wise mystic in most cultures, with his head shaved and lit with a blue flame. He holds a long handled sickle in his right hand and a large ring floats above his left. Servants Rahkshahk - The de-facto mayor and guardian of Duvaar, City of Doors. He roughly human sized, most of the time, and wears plain robes. The only thing that sets him apart from a normal human is his pure golden skin and purple glowing eyes. He is muscular, but not to a ridiculous degree. Although, his strength far surpasses what he looks like. He is a unique outsider who is highly important to the church of Shappa because he was the first to ascend to immortality using Shappa's teachings and following the 4th Path. Church of Shappa Among the many different paths Shappa teaches about, he emphasizes on two specific paths, of which one can dedicate themselves to, or dable in both to travel life by any means desired. These are the Right and Left-Handed paths. It is even said that all those who do not follow Shappa can still follow one of these paths, even if unwittingly. Shappa's symbol represents the two simultaneously, interwoven with his divinity. Right-Handed Path Those who follow the Right-Handed Path study the concepts of the three related, yet separate concepts of mind, body and spirit. These people commonly, though not always, form groups of worshipers who pray and perform rituals of worship together. They adhere to a specific moral code and a belief in some form of judgement, such as the Law of Recurrence, which states, in simple terms, that if one does something good, then they will get good things and if one does something bad, they will receive bad things. Left-Handed Path Left-Handed pathers often reject societal constructions and norms, which they believe restricts their spiritual freedom. This often leads to religious practices that many would view as taboo, such as using sex or drugs in rituals. They believe in breaking taboos, no matter the type. Something as simple as working on a day that is generally reserved for worship would be following the Left-Handed Path. They often question religious texts and dogma, instead following their own personal beliefs and anarchism. Worshipers and Clergy Worshipers of Shappa come in all shapes and sizes. The leyman follows him for his protection of the traveler. Merchants and explorers will pray to him for guidance, safety on the road, and insight. The strictly devoted tend to be monks, clerics, and war priests who follow his more esoteric teachings and walk the paths he has laid out. There is no standard garment that Shappa's clergy wear, although they all typically have some sort of ceremonial vestments. Shappa encourages his priests to express themselves and show their devotion in a way that suits them individually. When communities arise who follow Shappa, he encourages uniformity among them, and if an individual is not ok with the way the church works, he is allowed to worship in his own way. Temples and Shrines To have a temple of the Walking God seems a bit counter to his teachings, although they do exist. It is common for clergy to travel from temple to temple, taking over the care of the buildings until another comes along. In many remote areas, they can stay in one place for quite some time, waiting for another to arrive. They see the caring of the temple as just another journey and a lesson to learn. Holy Texts The Path of the Seeker: This book contains knowledge and guidance on seeking a better living through metaphorical "walking." It discusses the idea that the path, or the journey, one takes in life is the ultimate way to achieve satisfaction. Ultimately, these paths will take you to the truest goal, to continue growing for eternity. These paths take one through ascendance and into transcendence. Eventually, if one travels the road long enough and correctly, he becomes the "Flower of Life," a state in which one can birth a new exidence. These are the Towering Paths. Holy Relics Any artifact or relic associated with the church. Magic Items Any magic item that is typically associated with the church. These items are almost always available at a temple of the deity. Traits No Destination: As a follower of the Walking God, you have wandered most of your life. You gain a +2 bonus on the following checks and saves: Swim checks made to resist nonlethal damage from exhaustion; Constitution checks made to continue running; Constitution checks made to avoid nonlethal damage from a forced march; Constitution checks made to hold your breath; Constitution checks made to avoid nonlethal damage from starvation or thirst; Fortitude saves made to avoid nonlethal damage from hot or cold environments; and Fortitude saves made to resist damage from suffocation. Right-Handed Path: '''You have opted to follow the right-handed path. You favor community and order. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Diplomacy and Heal. Diplomacy is always a class skill. You cannot take the left-handed path trait. '''Left-Handed Path: You have opted to follow the left-handed path. You favor freedom and individuality. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Bluff and Survival. Survival is always a class skill. You cannot take the right-handed path trait. Deific Obedience Spend at least 1 hour reading Shappa's holy text, the Path of the Seeker and reflect on its teachings. Gain a +1 bonus to Will saves and a +2 bonus to all checks described within the Endurance feat. The type of bonus depends on your alignment -- if you're neither good nor evil, you must choose either sacred or profane the first time you perform your obedience, and this choice can't be changed. Exalted Boons #'Walking Way (''Sp):' ''expeditious retreat 3/day, remove paralysis 2/day, or glibness ''1/day (the bonus from ''glibness can be applied to Diplomacy instead of Bluff. Make this choice upon gaining this ability. It may not be changed) #'Not All Who Wander Are Lost (Ex):' You can never get lost and are immune to maze and similar effects. #'Planar Wanderer (''Sp): '''You gain the ability to ''plane shift t''hree times per day, but only to Duvaar, City of Doors. Category:Religion Category:Gods Category:Liberation Domain Category:Community Domain Category:Protection Domain Category:Travel Domain Category:Neutral Deity